At
the side of the river, a man drinking sake. He speaks to himself.
"Disease is everywhere, including the era and its people.."
The scene changing to a place where a group of people walking. A little
kid carrying top toy smiling to a woman walking next to him.
"Violence increases everyday, regardless of your strength's, the times
they are unstoppable"
Scene of that group of people attacked by bandits, slay them
without mercy, blood is everywhere. Three girls and the little kid are those
who are still alive. Trying to protect the girls, that little kid pick up
a sword but then one of the girls pull him and have him into her arms, protect
him.
"Please don't," voice of a girl screaming, she got slashed, die.
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The
bad guy stab his sword to her again, she dies.
The
kid looking at it with horror on his face, as the bad guy preparing to
kill him too. But at his back there's noise of people screaming to their
death. A man approaching.
"Don't look," says the girl who protect the kid.
"Please this boy," says the other girl who's trying to protect
the two but then got slashed, her blood spouts all over the girl who holds
the kid's body.
"Shinta, Shinta. So young, you couldn't possibly choose. You will be
spared. Find meaning in your life, unlike those who died here today. Shinta,
live," whispers the girl to the kid.
The girl pulled by the bad guy as the kid looking at it, can't do
anything. He stab the sword through her neck...she falls down.
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"Live, Shinta...for me...," she says.
"Who
are you?" asks the bad guy.
"No point in introducing myself to the dead," replies the one
who just killed all the bad guys.
Then his sword slashed the last bad guy, die. The man approaching the kid.
"Fate brought us here. I've avenged their deaths. No grief or
damnation can ever bring back the dead. Be thankful you survived. This is
common place," he says as he's cleaning the sword from the blood.
Then he goes away, with thoughts on his mind.
"The smell of blood in the air. It's an insult to be killed like dogs
or sold as a concubine. This is regrettably common for now and ever. Perhaps,
this is how it will remain."
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The
next day the man is looking for the little boy in the nearest village, but
can't find him there. The he's heading to the killing ground, and
surprised to see many wooden cross to mark each grave there. The boy is
standing there.
"It's no consolation that I was taught Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu to save
anyone at times, but I can be assured the burials of victims. You dug
graves for the bandits as well as your parents?" the man asking to
the boy. |
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"These are slave traders. My parents died a year ago of disease.
Once they seize living, they're nothing but corpses, regardless of being
traders when alive," answer the boy.
"What are those for?" the man pointing at 3 stones arranged
in a row.
"Kasumi, Akane, and Sakura. I know them briefly. I had to protect
them even if it cost me my life, but they protected me. They asked that
I be spared since I am a child. |
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That's why... They deserve decent stones,
but these were all I could find. I can't even offer them flowers."
The man is walking to the stones and pours down the sake from its bottle.
"It's a shame they couldn't enjoy the taste of a good sake. I'm offering
them what I can."
"Thank you," says the boy. |
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“I’m
Hiko Seijiro, a swordsman.”
“Swords...”
“Even though you couldn’t protect the ones you loved, you were given
these three. Your hands have
been entrusted to the dead, but not their lives.
You are forced with their responsibility.
Find the strength in yourself in order to hold your own and protect
others.”
“Protect...”
“Boy, your name?”
“Shinta.”
”Not quite appropriate for a warrior.
You shall be known as ‘Kenshin’
(ken=sword, shin=heart in Japanese, kenshin=heart of sword) from
now on.”
“Kenshin...”
“You’ll have the finest weapon!”
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1864
(Genji Year)
Kyoto, nighttime, three men are walking on the street.
"It's late. Let's get back." says one man.
"I heard you're getting married next month," says the other.
"Yes."
"Are you marrying your childhood friend? You are lucky."
"Thank you. I feel guilty. I shouldn't be so fortunate during these
hard times."
"What? It doesn't matter that the world is grave as long as you find
happiness."
Scene changing to a peaceful place, the one who's getting married having
flashback memories.
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"I may return next spring. We'll have to wait. I'll buy a gift on the
way home," the man is talking to a lady, his fiancée. The lady nods.
Back at the present day.
"Kyoto Shoshidai, along with Shigekura Jubee... I will deliver Tenchuu
(tenchuu=punishment in the name of heaven, a term from Choushuu Ishin Shishi's
hitokiri (assassin) to their victims)," say someone's voice.
Those three men got shocked and looking back.
"An assassin?! Can the world possibly change with the swing of a sword?"
says one man.
"Stand back!" says the other. |
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"What's your name?" screams the man to the hitokiri, he's attacking
him but got killed in instant. The other man is trying to protect the one
who's getting married.
"Stand back, Captain. You won't die now." He's approaching the
assassin, got killed easily.
"Mr. Shigekura," says the last man. The assassin is attacking
him, he can resist the attack, but got pushed back.
"I can't die. I don't want to die," he says.
"Just give up," says the assassin.
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"I
can't," he is trying to attack again, but the hitokiri hurt him on
his stomach.
"I can't die. I can't die now. I don't want to die. Will I die? I
will not die...," he is screaming and running to attack the assassin
with strong determination to defend his life. But he is no match with
the assassin, the assassin slays him, but he gets a little wound on his
left cheek. The assassin is touching his wound.
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"I don't want to die. Not just yet. I don't want to," the man
falls and he gets vision of his love in his mind.
"To..m..," he is trying to reach a flower near him as it's his
love on his sight. But he never get to finish his word because the assassin
finish him.
Then the assassin's gang come up.
"Himura, you hurt?" ask a man to the assassin.
"Not at all," answer the assassin.
"I'd never thought anyone could possibly hurt you Himura. Was your
opponent exceptional?"
"No," he puts his katana (sword) into the sheath.
"Huh?"
"Obstinate. Please watch over everything, Iizuka," says the assassin,
Kenshin Himura to the man and he goes away.
"H-hey...," Iizuka is about to after him and he is a bit surprised
to see a flower on the dead body. Kenshin put the flower there because he
respects and feel pity for the man who had a strong will to stay alive.
At Kohagi House, Himura pour himself with water and he is having a flashback
memories when he was little.
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He is trained by his master Hiko
Seijiro, at
the river with a waterfall.
"Approach me. Faster!" says Hiko and thinking about his student,
"He desires strength the most. Pure. Yes, very pure."
Little Himura is trying to attack Hiko, but he failed.
Himura is still cleaning his face and thinking, "Even with the teachings
of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu... The Mitsurugi sword or the sword wielded for the
world to protect the weak," and he's cleaning his wound with a towel,
the blood is there on the towel.
Scene changing, at Choushuu Ishin Shishi's secret home base, Kyoto. Four
men are talking. The Choushuu Ishin Shishi's leader Katsura Kogoro,
Katanai, Kenshin, and Iizuka.
"It's been awhile, someone was able to hurt you?" ask Katsura
to Kenshin.
"It was negligence," answer him.
"Who was your opponent?"
"Kyoto Shoshidai (Shogunate from Kyoto), Shigekura Jubee's slave. His
name is unfamiliar," replies Iizuka.
"Uh hm," Katsura nods.
"What is it?" asks Kenshin.
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"There shall be a meeting in secret. Toshimaru and Miyabe will be there.
We'll be deciding what stance we'll take."
"Do you need a guard?" asks Kenshin again.
"No. I was curious to know if you'd join us," says Katsura.
"That would splendid," says Iizuka.
"I'd rather not. I'm a hitokiri, I have no other skills," Kenshin
says. "If you don't require me any further, I'll excuse myself,"
he continues and then goes away.
"Hey wait," Katsura calls him, but Kenshin has already gone.
"Excuse us," Iizuka is aftering him.
"Why the temperament?" says Katanai, "Katsura was just showing
his acknowledgement!"
Katsura is feeding the koi fish at the pond nearby as he's remembering a
year back when he and Takasugi Shinsaku were watching the recruitment of
anti-Shogunate troops that is called Kiheitai at Choushuu. Many men were
waiting to show their abilities.
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"Kihei-tan?" asks Katsura.
"Yes. This will be quite a fighting force. Surely they'll succeed.
They show promise. These are the men about to bring down Bakufu," says
Takasugi.
"Perhaps they're better than samurai, but are they capable?"
"You worry to much," replies Takasugi again.
"Next," says a man.
"Are they similar children?" asks Katsura to Takasugi.
"The 'Ki' in Kihei means lineage," answer him.
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A little boy step forward to the call and preparing to show his ability.
He's facing a rather big wood covered by rope. Then he slices the wood in
one move, the wood got sliced into two pieces easily. That boy was Kenshin
Himura.
"It may not be that bad," says Takasugi who's watching it.
"Takasugi," says Katsura with full of amazement seeing that.
"What is it? Your eyes are so wide."
"That... He must come to Kyoto."
Scene changing to present day when Kenshin Himura doing his 'job' as a
hitokiri.
Flashback memories coming into his mind when he decided to use his sword
skill and telling that to his master.
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"You're not allowed to leave the mountain!" says Hiko to him.
"Master! Many die as we speak! It's time. Time to use Mitsurugi-Ryu
to protect others!"
"Idiot! What can you possibly do?! You can't truly change the world
alone but with others. To be used politically for your sword... You were
not taught Mitsurugi-Ryu technique for that purpose. Don't worry about the
world, but your training."
"People suffer. Many are disconsolate. I can not leave them!"
says Kenshin.
"Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu is a strong technique. Compare the hardships -,"
"That's exactly why I must! I must protect the people from hardship!
That is Mitsurugi-Ryu's -" says Kenshin but Hiko cut his words.
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"The sword is a weapon! Kenjutsu's a killing technique! It can't honestly
be described any other way. (Kenshin gasps) You kill to protect. Kill so
that others may live, this is Kenjutsu. Just like when I saved you. I killed
many, but they were human. During these embroiled times, many struggle to
live. What awaits you is killing for justice. In a different situation,
Mitsurugi-Ryu would make you a murderer." Hiko saying those as Kenshin
listening with eyes wide because he's just found out the truth about his
sword skill.
"Well... Given this, I wish to protect the suffering! To protect many...
Many lives... With these hands. With that," says Kenshin again.
Master Hiko walking away.
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"Master!"
"I no longer care for an idiot such as you! Go leave where you wish."
"Thank you, for everything," Kenshin bends down to show his gratitude
to his Master.
"This stupid student chose a path while young, but... his intentions
were pure and his path unavoidable," Hiko talking to himself as he's
walking away from Kenshin.
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Scene changing back to present days, Kenshin walking through Iizuka.
"It bleeds," says Iizuka as he sees the wound on Kenshin's cheek
bleeds.
Daytime on the city street, Kenshin is walking.
"It is hot," says a woman's voice.
"It is. It snowed recently."
Himura sees something and then he's hiding. People on the street step aside,
let a group of people walking on. It is the Shinshen Gumi gang. One of the
gang members senses something and looks around with suspicious.
"What's wrong Saitoh?" asks his young mate.
"I smelled blood," answer him.
"Oh Saitoh! Perhaps you've killed recently," says the young one.
"Okita."
"Yes?"
"Gather your thoughts, and then place them into words," says Saitoh
to Okita.
"Okay," replies Okita.
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Scene changing back to present days, Kenshin walking through Iizuka.
"It bleeds," says Iizuka as he sees the wound on Kenshin's cheek
bleeds.
Daytime on the city street, Kenshin is walking.
"It is hot," says a woman's voice.
"It is. It snowed recently."
Himura sees something and then he's hiding. People on the street step aside,
let a group of people walking on. It is the Shinshen Gumi gang. One of the
gang members senses something and looks around with suspicious.
"What's wrong Saitoh?" asks his young mate.
"I smelled blood," answer him.
"Oh Saitoh! Perhaps you've killed recently," says the young one.
"Okita."
"Yes?"
"Gather your thoughts, and then place them into words," says Saitoh
to Okita.
"Okay," replies Okita.
After the gang went away, Kenshin gets back to the street, and so does
Iizuka.
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"Watch as they walk down the street like they're important. Do this,"
says Iizuka and he's passing a black envelope with names for him to do the
Tenchuu.
"That smells good," says Iizuka as he smells something.
"Hakubai-kou (white plum fragrance)," says Kenshin.
"I didn't know you were familiar with such fragrances. Must be that
woman."
Both Iizuka and Kenshin looking at across the street to a lady standing
there.
"Good," says Iizuka again.
The lady looks back but Kenshin is avoiding the glance.
"Well, later," Iizuka goes away.
Kenshin looking at where the lady stands again but she's already gone. Then
he walks on.
Sometime later at a restaurant, Kenshin is there drinking sake. Two women
are talking.
"I saw Mibu wolves in the streets. I got scared, so I got off the street."
"They killed Ronin's in town. Scary."
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Kenshin is pouring down his sake and looking at the cup, he always tastes
bitter of what he's drinking.
And he's having flashback memory with his
Master Hiko. Nighttime at the side of a river.
"Nightly sakura of spring, the stars of summer... Autumn full moon,
and the snow of winter, that itself makes for good sake. If bitter, it's
proof there's something wrong in you," Hiko is drinking the sake, "You'll
someday taste sake. When the time comes, let's drink together," says
Hiko and he raises the cup.
Back at the restaurant, two men are walking pass Kenshin and talking.
"Don't waste your time on that woman."
"I can't forget her."
Then Kenshin's leaving the restaurant, doing the Tenchuu again. Blood shed.
After doing it he meets Iizuka.
"You're incredible," says Iizuka.
"What?"
"The person isn't given any time to scream," says Iizuka and he's
looking at Kenshin and sees the wound bleeds.
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"Hey it's doing it again."
Kenshin cleans the blood with his hand.
"I heard a superstition. A malicious sword wound will not heal until
the users desire is gone," says Iizuka.
"A maliciously sword wound..."
"I heard it would not disappear."
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Scene changing to little Kenshin practicing hard to hit a tree with wooden
sword until his hands bruises. Then he washes his hands at a river, it hurts
and he remembers his sisters who protected him and he whispers, "Sister."
Back at present day, Kenshin is washing his hands from blood. No matter
how hard he washes his hands, he still can smell the blood in his mind.
"Still washing up?" asks Iizuka, "I heard there were problems
during the meeting last."
"What happened?"
"Nothing. Katsura and Miyabe argued. Miyabe is planning something in
Kyoto with others." says Iizuka.
"What of Katsura?"
"He argued it wasn't time for that now. He was vehement and may have
even struck him."
"How nasty."
"Very much so..."
Flashback to when Kenshin had just recruited to join Choushuu Ishin Shishi
gang, he's called to meet Katsura, Takasugi was there too.
"I'll come right out and ask. Have you killed? There's nothing pretty
about this. It's murder. In order to create a new world, one must tear down
the old. It's a repulsive job, but must it be done. You wanted to protect
others. I'd like you to use your strength. For the new world, can you kill?"
ask Katsura to Kenshin.
Scene of Kenshin Himura's first killing job. After doing it he looks up
to the sky. Somebody's calling him.
"Hey you."
Kenshin turns around.
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"I'm Iizuka, beholder. First time right? Get a hold of yourself. Some
guys faint or lose their appetite and get sick."
"I'm okay. I feel better than expected," Kenshin replies.
"Good. Our adage is 'quick, exact, decisively'. No point is staying.
Let's go."
"With my sword... Those victims to it... In this age of possible peace...
I will..." Kenshin speaks to himself as he's cleaning blood from his
sword.
Scene of two men walking in the rain...got attacked by Kenshin...down in
instant.
"...Proceed to heaven... Kill!"
Scene of Kenshin killing many people, blood shed.
Scene of Takasugi talking to Katsura, at Choushuu.
"How is he?" asks Takasugi about Kenshin to Katsura.
"Okay."
"Quite an acquisition for the miscellaneous Kihei-Tai. I'll give him
to you since you're interested. On one condition..." says Takasugi.
"Which is..."
"Be sure if you are to raise him as your own. Your days of the sword
are over as of now."
"As leader of Choushuu domain's, Ishin and Shishi... I don't really
plan on proceeding."
"Promise?"
"I promise, Katsura Kogoro no longer exists."
"You will become Mikoshi (holy man) of Choushuu for Bakumatsu. I will
take care of the music."
"Perhaps," says Katsura and he's walking out of the room, while
Takasugi is playing music on shamisen (string musical instrument).
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Scene of Kenshin sitting at his room looking at the stars then taking his
childhood toy out of his shirt.
Scene of when Katsura decided to lead the Choushuu warriors.
"Though my body decays on Musashi... My spirit it will live forever
with no regrets. Bakufu killed my teacher. But his ideals live on... Kyo!
Justice will crush chaos. That's Choushuu... No, my forces!"
In the morning, Kenshin and Katsura were about to leave Choushuu to Kyoto.
"Go. He'll watch over you," says Takasugi to Kenshin. After the
two left, Takasugi's coughing badly.
"I won't lay down for the morning," he says.
Present day, Iizuka and Kenshin are walking in the rain with umbrellas,
nighttime. That's is right after Kenshin brought Tenchuu.
"Hitokiri Battousai, you're incredible. You're not blood stained at
all. Do you wish to drink before returning home?" asks Iizuka.
"No thank you."
"Are you positive? Guess I'll drink alone. Later."
Scene changing to Katsura's place, Katsura is talking to Katanai. His lady
Ikomatsu is there too.
"A year has passed. He looks older, and unfamiliar. But pure as before,"
says Katsura about Kenshin.
"We should be fine," replies Katanai.
"No. He's still pure. He's at conflict with himself. With hitokiri..."
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Scene changing to a bar. A woman is drinking sake in one swallow, people
there are watching her. Then she's leaving the place, walking with an umbrella
in her hand because it is raining. Not far from there, Kenshin is walking
home after doing Tenchuu. But he's ambushed by someone.
"Shinsen Gumi. No, someone from the shadow similar to myself,"
says Kenshin.
Scene back at Katsura's place.
"Excuse me," Katanai is about to leave.
"Thank you," says Katsura.
"I'll influence Miyabe and the others."
"Perhaps, tell them to be careful of Shinsen Gumi."
"Yes," replies Katanai and he's out of the room, then Ikomatsu
closes the door.
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